The Dancer and The Engineer
by Nobuyumi
Summary: A three part story of how one famous Engineer by the name of Cid ended up with a Warrior of Light named Luna Astra.


Love. A word more powerful than any pet a Summoner could call conjure forth. Stronger than any shield a paladin could raise. More beautiful than any waltz a dancer could perform. Most love stories start with boy meets girl, and so on and so fourth. This is not one of those stories. Instead what is written here is a three part performance between one very awkward engineer and the woman who adored him.

To say that Cid nan Garlond was famous would be an understatement. The silver haired engineer had aided the very Free Companies of Eorzea in saving the realm countless times over. Whether by creating a small electrical device or by helping to model an entire airship. Pioneer of the Garlond Iron Works it was fairly common to see more than one adventurer swoon over him. Yet, he never had much interest in them. It was easy enough to fake an interest in cutting edge technology, but seeing their eyes glaze over as he got into the finer points of his latest inventions only helped to prove that sometimes looks and fame are in fact everything.

Enter one Luna Astra. A raven haired miqo'te from the Seeker of the Sun tribe. Known through out the realm for both her dancing and her skills with the magical arts she had taken part in many battles. She had fended off the invading Empire, helped defeat the dragons plaguing Ishgard, and even helped bring night back to the first shard. Though, none of that was as remarkable as how well she seemed to be able to hold Cid's attention. Even while helping various free companies with their quests to aid the realm, Luna had spent more than a few evening at the Ironworks. For every idea Cid had, a long story of how he had come up with it and what he planned to do with his invention was sure to follow. Yet unlike most who simply fell asleep or tuned out the engineer's long conjectures Luna seemed captivated by his words.

What first started out as Cid simply helping her and her friends in saving the realm quickly turned into occasional conversation about various projects that would eventually help those in need. Then it became weekly unveiling of inventions. After that it was Luna, and sometimes others, coming to Cid's aid when on more than one occasion he had managed to trap himself within one ancient device or another. Then, finally, a day came that would change both of their lives forever.

It was after a particular incident in which Cid had managed to become trapped within an ancient Allagan cube. It was a device, he proposed, that could store data inside of itself and release when activated again. Like a portable storage device for creatures or weapons. Unfortunately, a certain Nero tol Scaeva thought the best way to truly test the device would be to use it on Cid himself. After quite a bit of help from some well learned friends she had managed to rescue Cid. A feat that had ended with Nero simply rolling his eyes and stating  
**"Why should this time have been any different?"**

The night after his rescue from the Allagan cube a familiar small knocking sound came on the door of the Ironworks. Yet this time Cid was reluctant to answer. He had managed to finish his second bottle of ale and thought he was ready to confront her, yet his hands refused to stop their shaking. Clenching his fists and breathing as a second set of knocks came a familiar voice scoffed.  
**"Must I do everything for you? The ever so great Master Garlond scared of one little girl."**

Even as Cid tried to stop him Nero gladly swung the door wide open and greeted the woman on the other side. Luna was dressed in a beautiful white sun dress less fit for an adventurer of her renown and more fit for someone coming to visit a close friend. The choice of attire only made Nero laugh more at a joke that didn't seem to exist as he happily gestured to a back room.  
**"Cid, is, in their!"**

Luna simply blinked a bit. Nero's strange actions usually caused confusion to those around him. Yet even for Nero, this was certainly odd. On the other side of a wooden door as Cid heard Luna's footsteps approach he quickly reached for a large pitcher of water. He was already two bottles deep and had no intentions of having his breath reek of alcohol around her. Yet the closer she got the more his hands shook and sweat. Finally clenching his teeth and taking a deep breath he drank the water in two quick gulps and stood up. Parting his hair he squeezed the table hard as Luna knocked on the small wooden door before entering.  
**"Cid, are you here?"**

Actually hearing her voice call him helped. Though to what degree it was impossible to say. Just how prepared could someone be for what he was about to do?  
**"Uh, yes. I am."  
"Oh, well, I came to ask if you wanted to get dinner. I thought you would be hungry after three days inside of a machine."  
**  
The simple act forced him to laugh. For all his nervousness, and how damaged his pride had been that he needed her to save him once again, she had simply come to check on him. Above all else she didn't gloat like Nero. She didn't come to lecture him as Bigs and Wedge had. Instead she came purely to see if he would be alright. Something that the man standing behind Luna couldn't help but laugh more at.  
**"Garlond I'll be leaving now. Don't worry, I will make sure to lock up on my way out. Wouldn't want anyone, intruding, now would we?"  
"Damn it Nero you..."**

Strutting out the front door Nero closed it with as loud of a thud as he could manage, something that forced Luna to jump a bit as she gazed back at Cid.  
**"Did..I do something wrong?"  
"No! Absolutely not! Nero is just, being himself. For all the good that does anyone."  
"Alright well I know the market is still open, or we could go to one of the Free Company estates. Some of them have great food vendors."  
"About that. Well, before we do, would you join me on the balcony over looking Revenant's Toll?"**

Shuffling through a few boxes Cid seemed to grab something before leaving the Ironworks with Luna. Locking and sealing the building behind him the two ascended the long flights of stairs up to the top of the castle like city. Gazing down at the town below the cool air helped the engineer to sober up as he looked over at his companion. How close she stood to him, her eyes carefully watching him made him turn several shades more red than the alcohol ever could.

** "It is a lovely view."  
** Luna smiled at him while gazing out from the balcony. A gently breeze moved through her hair, causing her to lift her hand to keep the strands out of her eyes. Blushing more Cid looked out.  
**"Yes. It certainly is."  
"So, what did you call me up here for?"**

The question forced the engineer to lightly rub his palms against his work pants. His hands still shook a bit as Luna looked at him concerned. For all the things he had done, both in the Empire and in Eorzea, he wasn't sure if he could do this.  
**"Well, Lately you've saved me a lot."  
"Oh, the cube? It was nothing. My friends helped an-"  
"No, I mean, you've saved me. Personally."**

Luna looked a bit confused at his words but Cid held her hands, causing both of them to be red faced as she looked away embarrassed.  
"I didn't think I had a p lace in this world. That my entire life was to make up for the sins of the Empire and my father. Yet, the time I spend with you reminds me that I am more than just a Garlond. I'm my own person. With my own thoughts, and ideas, and...feelings."  
**"Cid..."  
"No, please. Let me finish."**

With that he held her hands tighter, gazing deeply into her eyes.  
"You really make me feel like more than just some magitek crazed engineer. Being with you is like a warm sun, even in the coldest nights, and I don't want to be in the dark again."

Reaching into his pocket Cid got on one knee in front of her. In an instant Luna's looked extremely flustered.  
**"Luna Astra would you.."  
"CID! OMG! I MEAN...CID...ARE YOU...OMG..." **  
The flustered girl's eyes started filling with tears as Cid pulled a small box out of his pants pocket. Opening it a beautiful silver band with two stones, one green and one blue, rested inside of it.  
**"Would you be my wife?"  
"YES! YES OF COURSE!"**

As Cid put the ring on her finger Luna began crying uncontrollably. For all his nervousness and the knots in his stomach Cid started crying as well. As he stood up Luna pressed herself hard against his chest as he held her, the twin gems glistening in the moonlight.  
**"Cid, you don't know what this means to me..."  
"Not nearly as much as what you mean to me."**


End file.
